Baling-press.



Ptented ueejzs, |900.

D. M. MOLAUGHLIN.

BAL|NG= PRESS.

(Applicacin med sept. 14, 1900.)

(K0 Mndel.) i

umm wgmncmn. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIELM'. MCLAUGHLIN, OF PANA, ILLINOIS.

BALING-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,423, dated December25, 1900.

Application led September 14, 1900. Serial No. 30,057. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL M. lWlCLAUGH- LIN, of the city of Pana,county of Christian, and State of Illinois, have invented a certain newand useful Bale-Press, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is intended to re-press bales of compressible material-ashay, for instanceto reduce the bulk of the bale for storing and shippingpurposes. It is exemplified in the structure hereinafter described, andit is defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the working parts of a press embodying my invention, theplunger, follower, and presschamber being shown in section. Fig. 2 is adiagram illustrating the mode of operation of the press mechanism. Fig.3 is a plan of the press-frame. Fig. 4 is a detail plan of thepress-chamber.

The press-plunger is shown at 1. At 2 in Fig. 1 is shown thepress-chamber, filled with material to be pressed. At 3 is shown afollower, against which the force that moves the plunger is exerted. Atoggle-joint 4 and 5 extends from the follower to the plunger andbuckles downward. Another toggle-joint 11 and 12 extends from thefollower to theplunger and buckles upward when in operation. Onetoggle-joint bears against an end of the plunger at one side of thecenter thereof and the other toggle-joint bears against the end of theplunger at the other side of its center. The toggles buckle and extendsimultaneously, but one rises as the other falls, and so the weight ofone is neutralized by the weight of the other, and the operation of themachine is lightened or equalized to that extent.

The plunger has a bail that extends around and beyond the press-chamber,anda wed ge, as 21, operates between the end of the chamber and thecross-bar of the bail to hold the plunger against backward motion. Inthis instance the bail consists of side bars 19 and cross-bar 20, andthe cross-bar is preferably flat on one side and trunnioned at its endsto turn ,in the side bars and adapt the flat side to the wedge. The sidebars of the bail are connected with the plunger, and they extend throughgrooves in the sides of the presschamber somewhat as is shown in Fig.4of the drawings.

The follower 3 is slidable lengthwise of the lower and hold the followeragainst backward p motion while the press-is in operation. The wedge 22is stepped, as shown in Fig. 1, and the horizontal extension of thesteps preferably decreases from the small end of the wedge toward thelarge end thereof, so that the pressing movements of the plunger willbecome gradually shorter as the bale is compressed.

The press-chamber has a bottom 17 and a removable top 18, which isopened to admit the bales and permit theirremoval after compression. Oneside of the press-chamber is recessed, as shown in Fig. `4, and a plate23 is held in position by screws 24 or their equivalent. After a balehas been placed in the chamber the plate 23 is set up against the baleand the plunger, and after the bale has been compressed the plate ismoved into the recess to relieve side pressure on the bale and expediteits removal.

The means used to actuate the toggle-joints consists of a shaft 8,having a crank-arm on each of its ends and pitman-bars connecting thecrank-arms with the toggle-joints. One crank-arm extends in onedirection from the shaft, and the other crank-arm extends in theopposite direction. The crank-arm 7 connects with toggle-joint 4 and 5through pitman 6, and arm 14 connects with toggle-joint 11 12 throughbar 13. The shaft 8 may be turned by a gear-wheel 9 and a pinion 10,both of which are shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The operation of the machine begins with the follower 3 near cross-bar15 of the frame and the cross-bar 20 of the bail of the plunger nearcross-bar 16 of the frame. As the toggle-joints are extended the compressible material in the press chamber yields to the thrust of theplunger and the plunger is moved forward or into the press-chamber. Thebail partakes of the motion of the plunger. The cross-bar 2O travelsaway from the end of the press-chamber a distance equal to the travel ofthe plunger, and wedge 2l descends into the space so formed and holdsall the advantage gained by the thrust of the toggle-joint. Then as thetoggle-joints are buckled, as shown in Fig. 1, the follower 3 is drawnawa)T from cross-bar l5, and the wedge 22 drops into the space and takesup so much of the motion of the follower as may be desirable. In theearlier part of the op eration substantially all of the forward travelof the follower may be held by the wedge 22, and as the resistance tothe plunger increases as the compression proceeds the forward steps Aofthe follower may be lessened in extent.

Whatever step the follower takes is imparted to the plunger at the nextextension of the toggle-joints, and so the action of the plunger iscontrolled through the follower.

In Fig. 2 the solid lines represent a buckled position of thetoggle-joint. The broken lines show how the plunger is thrust forwardbythe extension of the toggle-joint, and the dotted lines show how thefollower is drawn forward and a step of the toggle-joint is completed.

After a bale is compressed the wedges are withdrawn, the plate 23 isrelieved, and the bale is removed.

The wedges may be controlled by hand or power, `or they may be loweredby gravity alone. The wedge 2l needs no manipulation while a bale iscompressing, and the wedge 22 will ordinarily descend as the followermoves forward without much attention.

I claiml. In a press, the combination of a presschamber, a plunger inthe chamber, means for holding the plunger against backward motion, anda toggle-joint and means for actuating the plunger forward by successiveoperations, substantially as described.

2. In a press, the combination of a presschamber, a plunger in thechamber, means for holding theV plunger against backward motion, aslidable follower, a toggle-joint interposed between the follower andthe plunger and means for holding the follower against backward motion,substantially as described.

3. In a press, the combination of a presschamber, a plunger ln thechamber, a wedge to hold the plunger against backward motion,

a slidable follower, a toggle-joint interposed between the follower andthe plunger and a stepped wedge to hold the follower against backwardmotion, substantially as described.

4. In a press, the combination of a presschamber, a plunger in thepress-chamber, a bail for the plunger extending beyond the head of thechamber, means for moving the plunger toward the head ofthe chamber anda wedge between the cross-bar of the bail and the head of the chamber,whereby the plunger is held against backward motion, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a horizontal press, the combination of a press-chamber, aplungertherein, means for holding the .plunger against backward motion,a pair of toggle-joints acting on the plunger and buckling one upwardand the other downward, a shaft outside the swing of the toggle-joints,crank-armsv on the shaft and pitman-bars connecting the crank-arms withlthe toggle-joints, substantially as de- In testimony whereof I sign myname in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DANIEL M. MCLAUGHLIN.

Witnesses:

ELIZABETH METZGER, D. M. KEYES.

